Photograph and letter press



May 7, 1946. J. T. coNNoRs PHOTOGRAPH AND LETTER PRESS Filed Dec. 4, 1944 A FTWLZZNJEYJ' Patented May 7, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,399,857 PHOTOGRAPH AND LETTER PRESS John T. Connors, J oliet, Ill.

Application December 4, 1944, Serial No. 566,468

1 Claim.

The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in presses for photographic prints, letters, and similar sheet material and has for its primary object to provide a press of this character for maintaining the photographs, letters or the like in a flat superposed or stacked relation to prevent wrinkling thereof.

More specifically the invention comprises the provision of a pair of clamping plates between which the photographs, letters or the like are positioned and embodying means for automatically locking the plates in clamping engagement upon a compressing movement of the plates.

A still further object is to provide a device of this character of simple and practical construction, which is eflicient and reliable in operation, relatively inexpensive to manufacture and otherwise well adapted for the purposes for which the same is intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming part hereof, wherein like numeral refer to like parts throughout, and in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view with parts broken away and shown in section.

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of one of the ratchet locking bars, and

Figure 3 is a perspective view of one of the hinges for connecting the locking bar.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, wherein for the purpose of illustration I have disclosed a preferred embodiment of the invention, the numeral l designates an upper clamping plate and the numeral 2 designates the lower clamping plate.

A pair of U-shaped ratchet bars 3 have their bight portions 3a positioned under the lower plate 2 and with their leg portions 31) extending upwardly through slots la and 2a in the upper and lower plates, respectively, at the end edges thereof.

The outer ends of the slots may be closed by metal strips 1 as shown attached to the upper plate I.

A pair of hinges 5 are attached to the upper surface of the upper plate I, the hinges including a spring hinge plate 5a having it edge adapted for engaging the teeth of an adjacent leg 3b of the rack bars 3. One of the hinges 5 is secured in position adjacent each leg of the rack bar and the spring plates Ed at each end of the plate I are connected by a bar 6, so that the spring plates 5a at the respective ends of the upper plate may be simultaneously pressed downwardly by manual pressure exerted on the bar 6.

The underside of the supper plate I is provided with a resilient cushion 4 of sponge rubber or other resilient material.

The method of using the device for pressing photographic prints consists of dampening the prints in the usual manner and spacing them between blotter or cardboard preferably of an area co-extensive with the prints to be pressed. The prints and cardboard are then placed on the lower plate 2 and and the upper plate I is then placed in position over the prints and the bars 6 then pressed downwardly so that the spring plates 5a of the hinges 5 will engage under the teeth of the rack bars 3 and the upper clamping plate I is thus firmly held in clamping position. To effect release of the clamping plate I downward pressure is applied to the plate I and the bars 6 and spring hinge plates 5a automatically move away from the teeth of the rack bars by the action of the springs so that the top plate may be then manually lifted off.

It is believed that the details of construction and manner of use of the device will be readily understood from the foregoing without further detailed explanation.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is:

A press of the class described comprising upper and lower clamping plates, said upper clamping plate having a pair of slots adjacent each of the opposite ends thereof, a U-shaped rack bar rising from each of the opposite ends of the lower clamping plate with each leg of said rack bar slidably positioned in one of said slots of the upper clamping plate, pairs of hin e members each secured to the upper clamping plate adjacent one leg of a rack bar, said hinge members each including a spring biased hinge plate having its free edge adapted for engagement with the teeth of an adjacent leg of the rack bar, and a connecting bar connecting the spring biased plates of each pair of hinges to enable simultaneously releasing the same from the rack bars.

JOHN T. CONNORS. 

